NORDAM to assemble fuselage panels for newest Gulfstream aircraft

NORDAM's Interiors & Structures division (I&S) has been contracted by LMI Aerospace to assemble fuselage panels for the recently announced Gulfstream 500 and 600 business jets. The multi‐year contract covers all fuselage panels aft of the cockpit as well as the vertical tail panels.

The stringers and doublers reinforcing the aluminum fuselage panels are bonded without rivets or locator pins resulting in an extremely smooth exterior surface.

“This program represents an enhancement to the appearance of the aircraft's skin. Gulfstream wanted to maintain the sleek appearance established on the G650, so instead of conventional skin‐and‐structure buildup, we used metal bond adhesive to assemble the panels and used specially designed tooling to achieve one long, seamless fuselage,” said NORDAM CEO Meredith Siegfried.

ʺWe greatly appreciate the opportunity to be a key supplier on this aircraft,” Siegfried added. “We have a strong relationship with LMI, our immediate customer for the panels, and of course we have a long and successful history with Gulfstream, too.ʺ

Siegfried notes that in addition to the panels, NORDAM manufactures engine components via its Nacelles & Thrust Reverser Systems division for customer Pratt & Whitney's 814 and 815 engines, which also are used on the Gulfstream 500 and 600.

“These two programs elevate NORDAM to a new and higher realm of primary structure component manufacture. We expect this added capability to lead to significant future opportunities,” said Siegfried.

According to Phil Marshall, I&S vice president and general manager, the LMI fuselage panels program is a significant expansion of the structures side of NORDAM's business that dovetails with its strategic plan for both growth and a balanced portfolio.

“NORDAM considered this program important enough to invest in a 50,000‐ square‐ foot expansion with a new, state‐of‐the‐art clean line and material handling system that is custom‐designed to meet anticipated production rates for this airplane,” Marshall said. “It will serve us well also for future opportunities.”